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The Normal

4.1 (22 reviews)
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THE NORMAL ATMOSPHERE

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Outdoor seating
Happy hour specials

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Chelsy B.

The wasp woman drink was great! Slightly creamy tasting hint of honey flavor. The cheddar sausage was so flavorful! And the brisket sandwich no 3 was perfection. Great service too!

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Tonia M.

Heard good things about this new BBQ place and wanted to try it. It's a tipless restaurant where, if dining in, you scan a QR code to place an order and pay and then the food is brought to you. We decided to order online and pickup. When we arrived we were immediately greeted by the owner and staff. Behind the front counter all operations of the kitchen are visible making it easy to communicate with staff. The delicious smoky aroma is the first thing that hits your senses upon arrival giving way to an excited anticipation to try their food for the first time. The place is very clean and I could see how this would be a nice spot to grab some good food and drinks (there are several alcohol and non-alcoholic options) with friends on a Friday or Saturday night. Since the restaurant is fairly new, they are experiencing some growing pains of success so patience is key. We ordered several mains and a few sides. I was disappointed that there weren't any combo offerings like most bbq places. Everything is a la cart. There was a glitch in the system where we ordered a large side of Mac and cheez, but when we arrived they were out of it. To my pleasant surprise the owner wanted to come through with a solution and if we could wait a little longer, he would make a fresh serving for us. If it wasn't the only thing my picky eater back home would eat off the menu, I would have said don't worry about it and exchanged for a different side, but seeing that we had time to wait, we went for his offer. He also gave us a free Ive cornbread to try - Talk about above and beyond customer service!! I'm glad we waited because she LOVED the Mac and cheez. The food was delish! The lingonberry barbecue sauced ribs were fall-off-the-bone and filled with flavor. I really enjoyed the smoked Buffalo wings. They were cooked perfectly and the Smokey flavor penetrated the meat just right. Being from Buffalo, I'm picky about how wings are cooked and find most places err on the side of undercooking, but these were great and as a blue cheese for wings lover, I especially appreciated the #ranchisforsalads hashtag when ordering online. The brisket sandwich was juicy and flavorful. The beans were a little too smoky and no one in the family enjoyed them enough to eat more than a bite full. The turmeric coleslaw and German potato salad sides were tasty. We'll definitely be back to try more dishes. I especially want to try the lingonberry bbq wings.

Surly beer! Good stuff from Minneapolis

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21 days ago

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2 months ago

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1 year ago

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2 months ago

Adam knows his business! Always good. If u crave BBQ in a friendly setting you're in for a treat here. Plus he's added a small bar!

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Off the chain! This was amazing bbq brisket. A must try if in Lima or nearby. Service was excellent and food was amazing.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Desiree was amazing! Awesome service and really tasty food! Everything came out fast and highly recommend!

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3 years ago

AMAZING SO SO GOOD. best bbq I've had since being in the south! Sandwiches, chicken, ribs all great. Love the turmeric slaw

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3 years ago

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Good Smoke BBQ - Three meats platter

Good Smoke BBQ

3.8(279 reviews)
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My friends and I came here for dinner during the week. We were lucky it wasn't too busy and were…read moreseated upon arrival. Food: I ordered the smoked mushroom sandwich with a side of corn. The mushroom sandwich was delicious. The side of corn was okay. The corn bread was amazing though. Service: Service was a little slow. They admitted they were short staffed that day. It still wasn't too bad. Our servers were very nice. TL;DR - The smoked mushroom vegetarian option is amazing.

If you've ever wondered what it feels like to walk into a restaurant and immediately question your…read morelife choices, Good Smoke BBQ delivers that experience within the first five seconds. The welcome committee appears to consist of cleaning utensils casually staged on the stairs leading to upstairs seating--because nothing says "we're ready for guests" like a mop-and-bucket obstacle course greeting you at the door. Inside, the vibe is best described as "dimly lit and emotionally uninvested." Less atmosphere, more "we forgot this place was open today." Service takes the concept of "self-serve" to an artistic level. The bartender acknowledged us briefly--just long enough to confirm we existed--before immediately resuming whatever bar-related priorities were clearly more important than customers. Meanwhile, several people ahead of us were openly discussing their 10+ minute wait with no movement toward actually being served. After a while, it became clear we were not waiting for service so much as participating in a passive endurance experiment. Eventually, we chose the only winning move: leaving. Honestly, the most efficient part of the entire visit was the exit. I'm still not entirely sure how a place with this level of disorganization manages to stay open, but I do wish them luck--preferably while we're eating somewhere else.

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Smokin Petes - Carolina BBQ Sandwich

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4.5(64 reviews)
33.4 mi
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pete's place is the stop for delicious bbq brisket, pork or chicken -- whichever you try will be…read moredelicious, i know because we ordered every kind and do not regret it. birria brisket tacos were absolutely incredible. cornbread was so good. 10/10 for seasoning, flavor, tenderness. all the sides were bomb. quick and easy service with all kinds of seating -- we chose outside to enjoy the sunshine but there was plenty of shade. indoor and outdoor restrooms and sinks. 100% recommend. only got a pic of the tacos and mac cause that's all i had time for before tearing everything absolutely tf up!!

The best bbq I've ever had, and I've had a lot of bbq. I…read moregot the 2 meat combo, which comes with 2 sides and cornbread. The cornbread was a giant slice, moist with delicious honey butter slathered on top. Ribs were very meaty with a great char, not too much fat. Pulled pork was delicious and not much fat. Mac salad was super creamy and the perfect texture. Tator tots were super crispy with a tasty dry rub dust. Help yourself station with 3 choices of sauce and little cups. All were tasty. I also ordered a side of white Alabama sauce, it was so delicious. Plenty of seating inside and a ton of varied seating outside with a lot of shade from sun. We almost left when we saw the long line out the door, so glad we stuck it out. We waited about 30 minutes just to order. Then the sign said "45 minutes to get your food after you order". Thankfully ours came in 20 minutes. Worth the wait if it took longer though. I would go back frequently if it wasn't a full hour from my house, but I'm already dreaming of going back. Leftovers heated up perfectly the next day. (Full disclosure, I ordered some pork hash rice and it was so gross. It reminded me of dog food. My husband ate it though, and liked it, so I can't judge.) I love you, Smokin' Pete's.

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The Normal - bbq - Updated June 2026

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